Skip to main content
profile image
Faculty Selected Works of Robert Marquis
Article
Strong influence of leaf tie formation and corresponding weak effect of leaf quality on herbivory in eight species of Quercus
Ecological Entomology (2022)
  • George H. K. Wang, George Mason University
  • Jennifer Wouk
  • Randi Anderson
  • Robert Marquis, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Link Find in your library
Abstract
  1. Leaf shelter construction by herbivorous insects can improve leaf quality, sometimes changing resultant herbivory. In two experiments in a Missouri (USA) deciduous forest we quantified the impact of leaf tie construction and changes to leaf quality on subsequent leaf damage.
  2. First, using eight Quercus species, we compared damage to single leaves versus experimental leaf ties that had been stocked with either Pseudotelphusa quercinigracella (Gelechiidae) or Psilocorsis cryptolechiella (Depressariidae) to determine how initial leaf quality (total phenolics) influenced damage caused by shelter inhabitants. Skeletonization by leaf tying caterpillars and leaf edge chewing by free feeding species were 12.2× and 1.3× greater on tied than on non-tied leaves, respectively. July and September leaf phenolic content had a slight positive effect on the probability of skeletonization, none on the probability of edge damage, and a weakly positive or negative effect on the intensity of skeletonization and edge damage, depending on leaf position.
  3. Second, we created experimental leaf ties, protected from herbivores, on the same Quercus species to determine whether tie formation changes leaf quality (total phenolics, nitrogen, water, toughness). Tie formation decreased phenolics, but this change was predicted to add only 0.8% leaf area loss.
  4. Synthesis. Herbivory increased dramatically when leaves were in ties, with the effect mostly due to the tie itself rather than a change in leaf quality. We predict that the advantages of building and using leaf ties in this system are more likely to be escape from natural enemies and changes in abiotic factors.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
Disciplines
Publication Date
October 27, 2022
DOI
10.1111/een.13202
Citation Information
George H. K. Wang, Jennifer Wouk, Randi Anderson and Robert Marquis. "Strong influence of leaf tie formation and corresponding weak effect of leaf quality on herbivory in eight species of Quercus" Ecological Entomology (2022) p. een.13202 ISSN: 0307-6946, 1365-2311
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/robert-marquis/83/